Food container, condiment container and method of mounting the condiment container to the food container

ABSTRACT

A food container, such as a scoop formed of lightweight paperboard, has a slit (or slot) extending in substantially a straight line across a front panel thereof for receiving a flange of a condiment container such as a cup covered by a lid. The condiment container may be securely attached the food container by inserting the flange in to the slit, from the outside of the food container, sufficiently that at least one locking feature on the flange becomes disposed within the food container. At least one locking feature is formed on a surface of the flange. The locking feature is tapered from a leading edge to a trailing edge thereof, and has a thickness (t 2 ) at its trailing edge which is substantially greater, such as five to ten times greater, than its thickness (t 1 ) at the leading edge thereof The locking feature can be in the geometric form of a triangle, having an apex oriented towards a leading edge of the flange. Two locking features may be provided on the flange, such as on the top surface thereof The flange itself extends substantially perpendicular to a side wall of the condiment container and may be integral with a portion of a lip which extends from a top edge of the side wall. The condiment cup may be formed of a resilient material, selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. The lid for the condiment cup may be formed of a material selected from the group consisting of foil or plastic laminate.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of commonly-owned, copendingprovisional patent application number 60/193,995, filed Apr. 1, 2000,entitled IMPROVED FRENCH FRY SCOOP.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to containers for food items such as Frenchfries, chicken strips, or any other finger foods, and containers forcondiments such as ketchup and, more particularly, to techniques forattaching or mounting a condiment container to a food item container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Containers are known for holding individual servings of fooditems such as French fried potatoes (French fries) or chicken pieces,such as are commonly available from “fast food” restaurants. Thesecontainers are typically formed of paperboard stock which has been cut,embossed, and/or perforated. Techniques for manufacturing a containerfrom paperboard stock are well known, and include die-cutting, and thelike.

[0004] One well-known type of paperboard container for food items is acup. A cup comprises a generally cylindrical body closed at one end by agenerally circular panel. The food may be deposited and removed throughthe remaining open end of the body. By the term “generally cylindrical”it is meant that the body has a conic shape whose sides make an anglewith the bottom panel ranging from 90 to 45 degrees. By the term“generally circular” it is meant that the bottom is in the shape of acircle or ellipse.

[0005] Another well-known type of paperboard container for food items isa “scoop”. A scoop comprises a generally rectangular front panel havingtwo side edges attached to two side edges of a generally rectangular,similarly sized and shaped, rear panel. The scoop further comprises abottom panel for connecting a bottom edge of the front panel to a bottomedge of the rear panel. The remaining top sides of the panels are notattached, and define an opening into which food items can be insertedinto the scoop by a food server and removed from the scoop by thecustomer (consumer). By the term “generally rectangular” it is meantthat the panel is a tetragonal figure whose shape approximates arectangle (having two opposite sides of substantially equal length andno inside angle that is not within 50% of 90 degrees).

[0006] Items served in scoop containers, such as French fries or chickenstrips, can be eaten directly from the scoop within the restaurant. Theyare also frequently served for consumption outside of the restaurantenvironment, as in a vehicle, in the home, or while the customer iswalking. These food products are often accompanied by a serving of acondiment (or garnish) which the customer consumes along with the foodproduct. For example, French fries are frequently served with ketchupand chicken pieces are often served with dipping sauce.

[0007] These condiments may be served and/or dispensed in various ways.For example, the customer may dispense the condiments from a bulkcontainer (holding several servings), such as a squeeze bottle, directlyonto the food item or into open individual-serving-sized cups.Individual portions may be served to the customer in foil, tear-openpouches (packets) or in individual-serving-sized cups (or tubs), whichare pre-filled with a serving of the condiment and sealed by a removablemembrane (lid).

[0008] Condiment containers of the type which are a cup having a lid aretypically formed of a resilient material such as polyethylene, such asby vacuum forming (e.g., thermoforming). Various other materials can beused to form the cup, including polypropylene, polystyrene, thick metalfoils, impregnated paper, paper, foil, plastic or a combination thereofThe cup consists of a reservoir for holding a volume (the “serving”) ofthe condiment and a lip (or flange) which extends completely around thetop of the cup. The cups are filled with condiment, then the reservoiris sealed by the lid. The condiment cup is opened by peeling the lidback from the lip to expose the reservoir and the condiment containedtherein. The lid is typically a membrane of a thin foil or plasticlaminate which is sealed to the lip by an adhesive or which is heatsealed to the lip of the cup.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,466 discloses a food container which is ascoop and a condiment container which is a cup having a lid. Thecondiment cup has a reservoir and a lip surrounding the reservoiropening. Support fingers are formed in the lip and can be bentout-of-plane and engaged over the vertical wall of the food container tohold the condiment cup on the container. The condiment cup isessentially “hung” from a top edge of a panel of the scoop.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,631 discloses a condiment compartment whichmounts on the outside of the front panel of a scoop. The condimentcompartment is attached with an adhesive to the scoop so as to bepositioned generally in the center of the front panel of the scoop.Other configurations are discussed in the patent.

DISCLOSURE (SUMMARY) OF THE INVENTION

[0011] It is an object of the invention to provide an improvedconstruction for a food container such as a scoop formed of lightweightpaperboard, a cup, an auto-bottom box, a paperboard container or foldingcarton of any type.

[0012] It is an object of the invention to provide an improvedconstruction for a condiment container such as a cup having a membraneseal.

[0013] It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method ofmounting a condiment container to a food container.

[0014] According to the invention, a food container, such as a scoop,has a condiment container mounting feature which comprises a slit (orslot) extending across a panel of the food container for receiving aflange of a condiment container such as a cup covered by a lid. Thecondiment container may be securely attached to the food container byinserting the flange into the slit, from the outside of the foodcontainer, sufficiently that at least one locking feature on the flangebecomes disposed within the food container.

[0015] According to a feature of the invention, one or more slits may bedisposed at and perpendicular to any longitudinal point along the frontor rear panel and may be centered between two sides of the front panelor offset to either side. More than one slit may be disposed on thescoop to accommodate different uses. The slit has a length dimension (L)which may be between 10-50% of a width dimension (Wt) of the frontpanel.

[0016] According to a feature of the invention, the condiment containercomprises a flange extending from a side wall of the container, and atleast one locking feature is formed on a surface of the flange. Thelocking feature is tapered from a leading edge to a trailing edgethereof, and has a thickness (t2) at its trailing edge which issubstantially greater, such as five to ten times greater, than itsthickness (t1) at the leading edge thereof The locking feature can be inthe geometric form of a triangle, having an apex oriented towards aleading edge of the Range. One or more locking features may be providedon the flange, such as on the top surface thereof The flange itselfextends substantially perpendicular to a side wall of the condimentcontainer, and may be integral with a portion of a lip which extendsfrom a top edge of the side wall. The lip of the condiment container hasa thickness between 0.010 inches and 0.10 inches, preferably beingbetween 0.010 inches and 0.020 inches. The condiment cup may be formedof a resilient material, selected from the group consisting ofpolyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. The lid for the condimentcup may be formed of a material selected from the group consisting offoil or plastic laminate.

[0017] The condiment container (cup) of the present invention attacheseasily to the food container or other similar container of the presentinvention.

[0018] The invention permits individual condiment containers to beformed, filled and sealed, and shipped in bulk to the fast foodrestaurants. When the scoop is filled with a food such as French fries,the condiment container may be easily attached to it by inserting theflange of the container into a slit on the scoop. The scoop may containone or more slits to accommodate a user's choice of eating location. Forexample, if the customer chooses to consume the food in a restaurant,the container may be inserted into a slit located near the bottom of thescoop so that the condiment container may support the scoop, allowing itto stand in an upright position on the top surface of a table. If thecustomer chooses to consume his or her food while driving a car, thecontainer may be inserted into a slit located near the top of the scoop,so that the scoop may support the condiment container and still beinserted into an automobile cup holder.

[0019] The addition of a mounting feature which is a slit to the foodcontainer (scoop) does not add to the material cost of the foodcontainer.

[0020] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent in light of the following description thereof

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Reference will be made in detail to preferred embodiments of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. The drawings are intended to be illustrative, not limiting.Although the invention will be described in the context of thesepreferred embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intendedto limit the spirit and scope of the invention to these particularembodiments.

[0022] Elements of the figures are typically numbered as follows. Themost significant digits (hundreds) of the reference number correspondsto the figure number. Elements of FIG. 1 are typically numbered in therange of 100-199. Elements of FIG. 2 are typically numbered in the rangeof 200-299. Similar elements throughout the drawings may be referred toby similar reference numerals. For example, the element 199 in a figuremay be similar, and possibly identical to the element 299 in an otherfigure. In some cases, similar (including identical) elements may bereferred to with similar numbers in a single drawing. For example, eachof a plurality of elements 199 may be referred to individually as 199 a,199 b, 199 c, etc. Such relationships, if any, between similar elementsin the same or different figures will become apparent throughout thespecification, including, if applicable, in the claims and abstract.

[0023] Throughout the following description(s) of the drawings, thefollowing terms may be used to describe and/or “point to” variousportions of elements in the drawings. The terms “top”, “upper”,“bottom”, “lower”, “left” and “right” refer to directions on the Figurebeing discussed, in its normal orientation. The terms “inside”, “inner”,“outside” and “outer” may also be used, and should be given theirordinary meanings, as consistent with the overall description, unlessspecified otherwise.

[0024] The structure, operation, and advantages of the present preferredembodiment of the invention will become further apparent uponconsideration of the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

[0025]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food container and a condimentcontainer, according to the invention;

[0026]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the food and condimentcontainers of FIG. 1, according to the invention;

[0027]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the condiment container and aportion of the food container of FIG. 1, taken on a line 3-3 throughFIG. 1, according to the invention;

[0028]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the condiment container, according tothe invention;

[0029]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the condimentcontainer of FIG. 4, taken on a line 5-5 through FIG. 4, according tothe invention; and

[0030]FIG. 6 is an illustration of various permutations available forslit designs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] FIGS. 1-5 illustrate an embodiment of a food container 100, acondiment container 200, and a method of attaching or mounting thecondiment container 200 to the food container 100, according theinvention. FIG. 1 illustrates the condiment container 200 alreadymounted to the food container 100, and FIG. 2 illustrates the condimentcontainer 200 prior to mounting to the food container.

The Food Container

[0032] The food container 100 is, by way of example, a “scoop”, such asis commonly used to contain a serving of French fried potatoes, chickenstrips, or other finger foods (not shown). The scoop 100 comprises agenerally rectangular front panel 102 having two generally rectangularside flaps contiguous therewith (not shown), a generally rectangularrear panel 104, and a bottom panel 106. As best viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2,the front panel 102 is spaced apart from the rear panel 104 such as theywould be when the container is filled with the aforementioned foods thatrest on the bottom panel 106. The food container 100 is typically formedof lightweight paperboard, since such a container is typically intendedfor single usage (disposable). The front panel 102 has four sides (oredges) 102 a, 102 b, 102 c and 102 d. The rear panel 104 has four sides(or edges) 104 a, 104 b, 104 c and 104 d. The bottom panel has foursides (or edges) 106 a, 106 b, 106 c, and 106 d. The front panel 102 hasan outer surface 102 e and an inner surface 102 f. The rear panel 104has an outer surface 104 e and an inner surface 104 f The bottom panel106 has an outer surface 106 e and an inner surface 106 f. The side 102a of the front panel 102 is the top (as viewed) edge of the front panel102, and may be curved as shown. The side 104 a of the rear panel 104 isthe top (as viewed) edge of the rear panel 104, and may be curved asshown.

[0033] Typically, two panels of a paperboard container are made to befoldably connected with one another by forming a score line in thepaperboard blank from which the container is assembled. As used herein,a “score line” is a rupturing of the surface of blank paperboard sheetmaterial, typically resulting in a depression on one side of the sheetand a welt on the other, which facilitates the paperboard blank beingfolded along that line and connected to designated panels. The side 102b of the front panel 102 is foldably connected and contiguous with aside flap (not shown), which is adhesively secured to the outer surface104 e of the back panel near the side 104 d. The side 102 d of the frontpanel 102 is foldably connected and contiguous with a second side flap(not shown), which is adhesively secured to the outer surface 104 e ofthe back panel 104 near the side 104 b. The sides 106 a and 106 b of thebottom panel are foldably connected and contiguous with the sides 102 cof the front panel and 104 c of the back panel, respectively. The bottompanel 106 has a central score line 106 g which permits the bottom panelto be folded in half when the container is flattened for storage orshipment.

[0034] The front panel 102 has a height dimension Hf between its topedge 102 a and its bottom edge 102 c. The rear panel 104 has a heightdimension Hr between its top edge 104 a and its bottom edge 104 c. Thefront panel 102 is typically shorter than (not as tall as) the rearpanel 104—in other words, Hf<Hr. The front panel 102 and rear panel 104may both be tapered, as shown, having a width dimension Wt across theirtop edges 102 a and 104 a, respectively, which is greater than a widthdimension Wb across their bottom sides 102 c and 104 c, respectively—inother words, Wt>Wb. Typically, the width dimensions of the front andrear panels 102 and 104 are substantially identical with one another.The front panel 102, back panel 104 and bottom 106 of the food container100 form a reservoir 112 for containing the serving of the food item. Inuse, the top edges 102 a and 104 a of these two panels 102 and 104,respectively, are spaced apart from one another, thereby forming anopening 114 for accessing the reservoir 112 of the food container 100.In this manner, food items such as French fries (not shown) may beinserted into the food container 100 by a food server (not shown) forserving a customer (not shown), and the food items may be removed fromthe food container 100 for consumption (e.g., eating) by the customer

[0035] As best viewed in FIG. 2, a slit 110 is provided in the frontpanel 102 of the food container 100. The slit 110 is a “mountingfeature” of the container 100, and is sized, shaped and positioned forreceiving a corresponding “mounting feature” (230) of the condimentcontainer 200 which is described in greater detail hereinbelow. The“slit” 110 is a cut that extends completely through the material of thefront panel 102 from the outer surface 102 e thereof to the innersurface 102 f thereof.

[0036] As best viewed in FIG. 2, the slit 110 extends generallyhorizontally (as viewed), across the front panel 102, between the sides102 b and 102 d of the front panel 102. The slit can be a variety ofshapes and sizes, as shown in FIG. 6, including but not limited to asubstantially straight line 601, a curved line 602, an “H” design 603, a“U” design 604 a and 604 b, or a series of smaller slits 605, eachdesigned to hold a single condiment container locking mechanism Adistance between the slit 110 and the top edge 102 a of the front panel102 is a dimension d1. A distance between the slit 110 and the bottomside 102 c of the front panel 102 is a dimension d2. The slit 110 may bedisposed anywhere on the container. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, theslit 110 is positioned so that the dimension d1 is less than half theheight dimension Hf of the front panel 102—in other words, d1<=Hf/2. Inthis configuration, a user/customer can hold both the condimentcontainer and food container in one hand or insert them into anautomobile cup holder. The slit may also be positioned so that d1 isgreater than half the height dimension Hf of the front panel 102—inother words d1>=Hf/2. In this configuration, the condiment container canbe positioned such that its bottom surface 210 is aligned with thebottom surface of the food container, permitting it to support the foodcontainers in an upright position.

[0037] The slit 110 is preferably centered between the two sides 102 band 102 d, and has a length L which is preferably between 10-50% of thewidth dimension Wt of the front panel 102. However, the slit may be offcenter or may include 2 or more slits. As will become evident, thevertical position of the slit 110 is related to the height dimension (H)of the condiment container 200 and the length L of the slit 110 isrelated to a width dimension (W) of a mounting feature (230) of thecondiment container 200. The slit 110 also has a vertical dimensionwhich, in the case of the slit 110 simply being a cut through thematerial of the front panel 102, may be zero (0 inches, 0 mm), or theslit 110 may be a slot having a non-zero vertical dimension, such as afew thousandths of an inch (a few hundredths of a millimeter). In FIG.1, the slit 110 is shown as a slot having a non-zero vertical extent,for illustrative clarity. In a further embodiment, the slit may also beconfigured as a hole having a generally circular or ellipticalconfiguration to accommodate a similarly shaped condiment containermounting feature.

The Condiment Container

[0038] The condiment container 200 is, by way of example, a cup (or tub)for containing a serving (predetermined volume) of a condiment 201. Thecondiment container 200 is generally in the form of a rectangularprism—in other words, a box having four sides (side walls), 204, 206 and208, and a bottom 210. The four side walls 202, 204, 206, 208 and bottom210 of the condiment container 200 define a reservoir 212 for containingthe serving of the condiment 201. The top edges of the four side walls202, 204, 206, 208 of the condiment container 200 are generally coplanarand form an opening 214 in the top (as viewed) of the condimentcontainer 200, for accessing the reservoir 212 of the condimentcontainer 200. A lip 216 extends completely around the opening 214 ofthe reservoir 212, and is generally perpendicular to the side walls 202. . . 208. As best viewed in FIG. 3, a dimension H is the height of thecondiment container 200, which is essentially the height dimension ofthe reservoir 212. As best viewed in FIG. 4, the reservoir 212 isgenerally rectangular in cross-section, having cross-dimensions X and Y,respectively.

[0039] The condiment container 200 is filled (e.g., by a condimentmanufacturer) with condiment 201, then the reservoir 212 is sealed by alid 220 which extends over the opening 214. The lid 220 is sealed to thelip 216 by a narrow band (strip) of an adhesive 222 that extends aroundthe periphery of the lid 220. Alternatively, the lid 222 can beheat-sealed to the lip 216. As is best viewed in FIG. 1, the lid 220 canbe peeled away from the lip 216 to expose the condiment 201 within thereservoir 212, for use by the customer (not shown). In FIG. 3, thecondiment container 200 is shown without the lid 220 (with the lid 220removed).

Mounting Features

[0040] As mentioned hereinabove, the slit 110 is a mounting feature ofthe food container 100. A corresponding mounting feature of thecondiment container 200 is now described.

[0041] As best viewed in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, a flange 230 extends from aone side wall 202 of the condiment container 200, substantiallyperpendicular to the side wall 202. The flange 230 is generally planar,has a top surface 230 a and a bottom surface 230 b, is generallyparallel to the bottom 210 of the condiment container 200, and has a“leading” edge 230 c. The term “leading” edge refers to the fact that,in use, when the condiment container 200 is mounted (attached) to thefood container 100, it is the leading edge 230 c of the flange 230 thatfirst enters the slit 110 in the food container 100. Ultimately, as bestviewed in FIGS. 3 and 5, substantially the entire flange 230 is insertedthrough the slit 110 to securely attach the condiment container 200 tothe food container 100.

[0042] The flange 230 has a width dimension W. The flange 230 has athickness t1 which is preferably the thickness of the material of theoverall condiment container 200, and is suitably integrally formed withthe condiment container 200, by thermoforming (vacuum forming) a sheetof plastic. The flange 230 is sized and shaped to fit into the slot 110.Therefore, the width W of the flange 230 is no greater than, preferablyslightly less than, the length L of the slot 110—in other words, W<=L.

[0043] The flange 230 is formed (sized and shaped) to securely attachthe condiment container 200 to the food container 100, in cooperationwith the slit 110 on the food container 100. At least one, preferablytwo locking features 232, 234 are formed on a surface, preferably thetop surface 230 a of the flange 230. These features 232, 234 aresuitably out-of-plane, raised, deformations of the thermoformed plasticmaterial of the flange 230 and condiment container 200. As best viewedin FIGS. 2 and 4, the locking features are suitably in the geometricform of triangles, such as isosceles triangles, having an apex orientedtowards the leading edge 230 c of the flange 230. However, the lockingfeature may be in the form of any geometric shape having suitabledimensions and configuration as described hereinbelow. Additionally, theportion of the flange between one or more locking mechanisms may be cutout to allow insertion into a two or more slit configuration.

[0044] As best viewed in FIG. 5, a cross-section of representative one232 of the locking features 232, 234, the locking feature 232 istapered, from a “leading” edge (or point) 232 a thereof to a “trailing”edge 232 b thereof. At the point 232 a, the locking feature 232 has athickness equal to the thickness t1 of the material of the flange 230.At the trailing edge 232 b, the locking feature 232 b has a thickness t2which is substantially greater than t1, such as a multiple ofapproximately five to ten times greater than t1—in other words t2>>t1.The increase of the effective thickness of the flange 230 is thusgradually increased from a relatively small dimension t1 to a relativelylarge dimension t2.

[0045] Preferably, and as illustrated, the flange 230 is an extension ofthat portion of the lip 216 that extends from the top edge of the sidewall 202. However, it is within the scope of the invention that theflange 230 is not integral with the lip 216. For example, in a furtherembodiment of the invention, an additional flange, or just a lockingfeature, may be formed in the side wall 202 of the condiment container.

[0046] As mentioned above, the slit 110 is disposed at a distance d2above the base 106 of the food container 100. As best viewed in FIG. 1,this position should be high enough up the front panel 102 of the foodcontainer 100 so that there is “clearance” for attaching the condimentcontainer 200 to the food container 100. Generally speaking, if the foodis to be eaten while walking or driving a car, the distance d2 betweenthe slit 110 and the bottom side 102 c of the front panel 102 should begreater than the height H of the condiment container 200—in other words,d2>H. If the condiment container is to be used as a support for the foodcontainer, the distance d2 should be equal to the height H—in otherwords, d2=H.

[0047] In use, the flange 230 is inserted into the slit 110, from theoutside of the food container 100, sufficiently that locking features232, 234 are within the food container, thereby securely attaching thecondiment container 200 to the food container 100.

Materials and Dimensions

[0048] The food container 100, condiment container 200 and lid 220 maybe formed of the following exemplary materials and may have thefollowing approximate dimensions (expressed in both inches andmilimeters (mm)). These materials and dimensions are not intended to belimiting—other materials and dimensions being within the scope of theinvention.

[0049] The food container 100 may be formed of paperboard, or ofmaterials other than paperboard, such as corrugated or honeycombcomposite structures, plastic or plastic laminate. The material of thefood container 100 may have a thickness dimension of approximately 0.022inches or 0.55 mm, such as 0.38-0.64 mm. The food container 100 may havethe following exemplary dimensions:

[0050] Hf=approximately 5.5 inches or 140 mm;

[0051] Hr=approximately 7.0 inches or 180 mm;

[0052] Wt=approximately 4.0 inches or 100 mm;

[0053] Wb=approximately 2.5 inches or 635 mm;

[0054] d1=approximately 0.5 inches or 13 mm;

[0055] d2=approximately 3.5 inches or 90 mm; and

[0056] L=approximately 1.25 inches or 32 mm

[0057] The condiment container 200 may be formed of a resilient materialsuch as polyethylene, such as by vacuum forming. Various other materialscan be used to form the condiment container, including polypropylene,polystyrene, thick metal foils, impregnated paper, paper, foil, plasticor a combination of these materials. The criteria for selecting asuitable material is that the material must be amendable to being formedinto a condiment container and, after being formed it must hold itshape. Further, the material for the condiment container should be suchthat the flange (230) must be stiff enough to retain its shape, but atthe same time must be resilient enough that the locking features (232,234) can deform in a resilient manner to securely hold the condimentcontainer to the food container. The condiment container 200 may havethe following exemplary dimensions:

[0058] H=approximately 1.25 inches or 32 mm;

[0059] X=approximately 1.625 inches or 41 mm;

[0060] Y=approximately 1.25 inches or 32 mm;

[0061] t1=approximately 0.012 inches or 0.3 mm; and

[0062] t2=approximately 0.125 inches or 3.0 mm.

[0063] The lip 220 extends approximately 0.125 inches or 3.0 mm from thesidewalls 204, 206 and 208 of the condiment container 200, and theflange extends approximately 0.56 inches or 14 mm from the sidewall 202of the condiment container 200. The locking feature 232 (and 234) is inthe form of an isosceles triangle having a base dimension ofapproximately 0.312 inches or 8 mm, and side dimensions of 0.250 inchesor 6 mm.

[0064] The lid 220 of the condiment container 200 is typically a flat(planar) membrane or sheet of a thin foil or plastic laminate. Asuitable thickness for the lid 220 is approximately 0.005 inches or 0.13mm.

[0065] The present invention is useful for serving condiment along witha food item, such as

[0066] French fries and a serving of ketchup from a “fast-food” vendor,and enables a customer to carry both the food item and the condimentwith one hand, leaving the other hand free, such as to unlock and/oropen a door, such as a car door.

[0067] While the invention has been described in combination withembodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives,modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in theart in light of the foregoing description. For example, the inventiveconcept may be applied to any type of paperboard food serving containerof any shape and size, and may include locking features of manydifferent shapes and locations on the condiment container. Accordingly,it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications andvariations as fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A food container having a generally rectangularpanel, comprising: a slit extending across the panel for receiving aflange of a condiment container.
 2. A food container, according to claim1 , wherein: the panel has a top and a bottom side and the slit isdisposed nearer to the top than to the bottom side of the panel.
 3. Afood container, according to claim 1 , wherein: the panel has a top anda bottom side and the slit is disposed nearer to the bottom than to thetop side of the panel.
 4. A food container, according to claim 2 ,further comprising: a second slit disposed nearer to the bottom than tothe top side.
 5. A food container, according to claim 1 , wherein: theslit has a length dimension which is between 10-50% of a width dimensionof the panel.
 6. A food container, according to claim 1 , wherein: thepanel has a top and a bottom side and the slit is disposed equidistantfrom both sides.
 7. A food container, according to claim 1 , furthercomprising: a second slit next to the slit extending across the panelfor receiving a flange of a second condiment container.
 8. A foodcontainer, according to claim 1 , wherein: the slit is in a shapeselected from the group consisting of a straight line, a curved line, an“H” design, a “U” design, or at least two cuts each designed to hold asingle locking mechanism.
 9. A food container, according to claim 2 ,wherein: the slit extends in substantially a straight line across thepanel.
 10. A food container, according to claim 3 , wherein: the slitextends in substantially a straight line across the panel.
 11. A foodcontainer, according to claim 1 , wherein: the food container is formedfrom a material chosen from the group consisting of lightweightpaperboard, corrugated composite structures, honeycomb compositestructures, plastic or plastic laminate.
 12. A food container having agenerally cylindrical panel and a generally circular bottom attached toan end of the generally cylindrical panel, comprising: a slit extendingacross the panel for receiving a flange of a condiment container.
 13. Afood container, according to claim 12 , wherein: the panel has a top anda bottom side and the slit is disposed nearer to the top than to thebottom side of the panel.
 14. A food container, according to claim 12 ,wherein: the panel has a top and a bottom side and the slit is disposednearer to the bottom than to the top side of the panel.
 15. A foodcontainer, according to claim 13 , further comprising: a second slitdisposed nearer to the bottom than to the top side.
 16. A foodcontainer, according to claim 12 , wherein: the slit has a lengthdimension which is between 10-50% of a width dimension of the panel. 17.A food container, according to claim 12 , wherein: the slit is disposedbetween a top side and a bottom side of the panel.
 18. A food container,according to claim 12 , further comprising: a second slit next to theslit extending across the panel for receiving a flange of a secondcondiment container.
 19. A food container, according to claim 12 ,wherein: the slit is in a shape selected from the group consisting of astraight line, a curved line, an “H” design, a “U” design, or at leasttwo cuts each designed to hold a single locking mechanism.
 20. A foodcontainer, according to claim 13 , wherein: the slit extends insubstantially a straight line across the panel.
 21. A food container,according to claim 14 , wherein: the slit extends in substantially astraight line across the panel.
 22. A food container, according to claim12 , wherein: the food container is formed from a material chosen fromthe group consisting of lightweight paperboard, corrugated compositestructures, honeycomb composite structures, plastic or plastic laminate.23. A condiment container comprising: a side wall; a flange extendingfrom the side wall and having a top surface, a bottom surface and aleading edge; at least one locking feature formed on a one of the topand bottom surfaces of the flange; the at least one locking feature istapered from a leading edge thereof to a trailing edge thereof.
 24. Acondiment container, according to claim 23 , wherein: the at least onelocking feature has a thickness at its trailing edge which issubstantially greater than its thickness at the leading edge thereof.25. A condiment container, according to claim 24 , wherein: thethickness of at least one locking feature at its trailing edge is fiveto ten times greater that the thickness at the leading edge.
 26. Acondiment container, according to claim 24 , wherein: the thickness ofthe at least one locking feature at its leading edge is substantiallyequal to the thickness of a material of the flange.
 27. A condimentcontainer, according to claim 23 , wherein: the at least one lockingfeature is formed on the top surface of the flange
 28. A condimentcontainer, according to claim 23 , wherein: the at least one lockingfeature is an out-of-plane, raised, deformation of the flange.
 29. Acondiment container, according to claim 23 , wherein: the at least onelocking feature is in the geometric form of a triangle, having an apexoriented towards the leading edge of the flange.
 30. A condimentcontainer, according to claim 23 , wherein: two locking features areprovided on the flange.
 31. A condiment container, according to claim 23, wherein: the flange extends substantially perpendicular to the sidewall.
 32. A condiment container, according to claim 23 , wherein: theflange is integral with a portion of a lip which extends from a top edgeof the side wall.
 33. A condiment container, according to claim 23 ,wherein: the flange is sized and shaped to securely attach the condimentcontainer to a corresponding slit on a panel of a food container.
 34. Acondiment container, according to claim 23 , wherein: the condiment isformed of a resilient material, selected from the group consisting ofpolyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene.
 35. A condiment container,according to claim 23 , further comprising: a lid extending over anopening of the condiment container.
 36. A condiment container, accordingto claim 35 , wherein: the lid is sealed to a lip extending around theopening.
 37. A condiment container, according to claim 35 , wherein: thelid comprises a thin membrane of material selected from the groupconsisting of foil or plastic laminate.
 38. Method of mounting acondiment container to a food container, comprising: providing acondiment container having a side wall; a flange extending from the sidewall and having a top surface, a bottom surface and a leading edge; andat least one locking feature formed on a one of the top and bottomsurfaces of the flange; providing a food container having a mountingfeature which is a slit extending in substantially a straight lineacross a front panel for receiving the flange of the condimentcontainer; and inserting the flange into the slit, from the outside ofthe food container, sufficiently that the at least one locking featureis within the food container, thereby securely attaching the condimentcontainer to the food container.